Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral, Tract 2 · Part 88
Now to the Affirmatiue part of this tenth Commandement.
Quest. What doth this tenth Commandement require?
Answ. Two things in generall.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. Originall purity in all the powers and faculties of the soule,Deut. 6.5. Luk. 10.27. 1 Thess. 4.3. 1. Thess. 5 23. 1 Tim. 1.5. and an holy disposition and inclination of the soule, whereby a man or woman is at all times disposed to thinke well, and affect that which the Law of God requires, and is agreeable to the rule of perfect louelove both of God and man.
Quest. VVhat is the second thing the tenth Commandement requires?
Answ. The inward effects and fruits of original purity in the soule, and of an holy disposition, and inclination of the soule.
Quest. What are these inward effects and fruites?
Answer. Two especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?
Answ. Good and holy motions of the minde and will,Psal 119.15.97.111. Rom. 7.22. 2 Cor. 10.5. Galat. 5.17. Ioh. epist. 3.2. whereby wee are stirred vp to good things, and to doe with delight, thinke and will, that which is agreeable to the true louelove of God and man; is holy wishings and longings after good things: especially such things as concerne the glory of God, and the good of the soule; and delightfull remembrances, and meditations of good things.
Quest. What is the second inward effect, and fruite of originall purity in the soule, and of an holy disposition and inclination of the soule?
Answ. A suppressing of euill thoughts, and motions to euill, whether comming from the flesh within,Pro. 4.23. Mat. 16.22.23. or from Satan or euill men without: and a keeping them from taking any place in our mindes by the least assent to them, or the least deligt in them.
Quest. What meanes are to be vsed to suppresse euill thoughts, and motions to euill, and to keepe them from taking place in our minds?
Answ. Three especially.
Quest. What is the first of those?Iob. 42.2. Psal. 94.11. Psal. 139.2.13. Act. 1 24. 1 Thess. 2.4.
Answ. This; a rememberance and due consideration of this that God sees the verry secrets of our hearts, and that all our most hidden thoughts are naked and open to his sight.
Quest. What is the second meanes that is to be vsed to suppresse euill thoughts, and motions to euill, and to keepe them from taking place in our minds?
Iob. 31.1. Psal. 119.37. Pro. 17.24.Ans. This; a couenanting with our outward senses, and a resoluing fully with our selues, by Gods grace that none of them shall be the instruments, the beginning or the occasion of sinne, in heart or life; and a carefull avoyding of all occasions and obiects of lust.
Quest. What is the third meanes that is to be vsed to suppresse euill thoughts and motions to euill, and to keepe them from taking place in our mindes?
Answ. This; frequent, earnest and heartie prayer, often and earnest calling on the Lord,Psal. 119.36. Mat. 26, 41. Ephes. 6.18. that he would giuegive vsus wisedome to discerne of the motions to euill, and strength against them: and that hee would incline our mindes and hearts to good things.
Quest. Is it possible for any man or woman in this life, to keepe the morall law of God perfectly?
Mat. 5.22.28.34. &c. Rom. 7.14.Answ. No: it is not possible, because the law of God is spirituall, and forbids not only the externall euill act, but also the internall euill thought and motion to euill in the soule of man, though no consent of will be giuen to it; and it requires absolute and perfect obedience to it, as well in the soule as in the body: and we are full of weakenesse and corruption and carnall in part, though we be regenerate.
Quest. What vse then is there of the Morall Law of God, seeing it is impossible to keepe it perfectly in this life?
Answ. It serues to teach vsus the constant and vnchangable nature of it selfe,Leuit. 18.5. Ezech. 20.11. Rom. 3.20. 2 Cor. 3.7.9. Galat. 3.24. and to be the rule of our liues, and to shew vsus the corruption of our natures and our weakenesse: and what we cannot doe, and so to humble vsus, and to driue vsus from it selfe, to seeke after grace and mercy in Christ.
FINIS Decalogi.
End of the text · Edward Elton, Gods Holy Mind Touching Matters Moral (1625)